Green Business: Tom Szaky & Brad Edmondson (A BK Webinar)

Igor Ovsyannykov

A Berrett-Koehler Webinar 
"In the Green: The Benefits & Challenges of Sustainable Business" 
Recorded on 1/26/14

Berrett-Koehler authors Tom Szaky (Outsmart Waste: The Modern Idea of Garbage and How to Think Our Way Out of It) and Brad Edmondson (Ice Cream Social: The Struggle for the Soul of Ben & Jerry's ) discuss the obstacles facing socially conscious businesses, and the rewards of remaining environmentally responsible. Szaky speaks from his experience as the founder of a start-up (TerraCycle, a recycling company which currently operates in over twenty-four countries), while Edmondson  chronicles the story of Ben and Jerry’s, and its transformation from a local business to a national brand.

TerraCycle's operations are focused on recycling typically unrecyclable waste, a mission consistent with Szaky's goal of getting people to rethink the concept of garbage on a global scale. While he addresses the responsibility of individual businesses to produce sustainable packaging, he believes that the power for change rests mainly with consumers; our spending habits directly influence what companies produce. Edmondson explains the struggle of remaining socially responsible while operating as a for-profit business; if social responsibility and financial stability are held equally, sacrifices must sometimes be made on one end for the sake of the other. Maintaining a business with a conscience is an ongoing struggle, but one that is, overall, rewarding.

Find more information here:

Outsmart Waste • TerraCycle

Ice Cream Social • Brad Edmondson